Beetroot - to lift or not?

**Glaurung** · 11-10-2009, 03:17 PM

I just lifted mine today. If I'd read this first I'd have tried lifting & storing half & leaving the other half for comparison. You could try that if it's not too late & report backinthe spring.

**rustylady** · 11-10-2009, 03:32 PM

I leave mine in - no room to store unless I pickle them or make them into chutney etc.

**zazen999** · 11-10-2009, 03:39 PM

I pick some to pickle and leave the rest in; if I've got a spare bit of net it will be draped over them to try and keep a good microclimate [just a smidgen above the air temp on the outside would be good], as our site can get really frosty in deep midwinter.

**realfood** · 11-10-2009, 06:18 PM

On our allotment, we cannot leave them growing because they will be eaten by mice. Some people cover the roots with a foot of soil to protect them.

**Snadger** · 11-10-2009, 08:09 PM

I think that any vegetable tastes better when feshly picked. My sweetcorn are always eaten within a few minutes of being picked. (Only I in the family like them so they never make it home, along with Gardeners Delight toms.)

I only pick enough carrots to use that same day as by the second day they are tasteless. As are stored, or worse still, frozen carrots!

I would think that beetroot left in the ground and freshly picked as required would be far superior in taste to stuff thats been stored a couple of months in peat or sand?

**Nicos** · 12-10-2009, 09:46 AM

I used to lift mine from the lottie cos the mice would eat them - They seem fine with a light frost or being covered over.
I'll leave mine for another month- and then store in sand.
But nows a good time for soups and stews etc- hopefully we'll eat most of them first!!!

**Two_Sheds** · 12-10-2009, 02:00 PM

I leave some in the ground, not to eat but for the fresh green leaves that will shoot in March: it's nice to have a bit of salad in early spring

**Lovage** · 13-10-2009, 06:29 AM

the consensus seems to be for leaving them in the ground

has no one else noticed the loss of flavour or is it just me?

**jackie j** · 13-10-2009, 08:24 AM

One of my lottie neighbours freezes hers, I have never tried this so dont know about the taste if you did. I pickled mine last year but I prefer fresh beetroot and the pickled went brown even though they were covered with pickling vinegar and in proper jars with seals.

**smc999** · 13-10-2009, 12:02 PM

Might sound like a daft question but can you do something with the leaves so that they can be eaten?

**realfood** · 13-10-2009, 06:12 PM

Beetroot loose their texture if they are frozen.

**Two_Sheds** · 13-10-2009, 06:42 PM

Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post

I leave some in the ground, not to eat but for the fresh green leaves that will shoot in March: it's nice to have a bit of salad in early spring

Originally posted by smc999 View Post

Might sound like a daft question but can you do something with the leaves so that they can be eaten?

Yep, you can eat them in a posh salad

**Glaurung** · 13-10-2009, 09:16 PM

Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post

Yep, you can eat them in a posh salad

Or you can cook them like spinach/chard.

**smc999** · 14-10-2009, 12:01 PM

Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post

Yep, you can eat them in a posh salad

Originally posted by Glaurung View Post

Or you can cook them like spinach/chard.

Thanks for the info guys. I threw the first ones into the recycling bin (no compost heap). I'll give it a go.

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